Thousands of people marched through the centre of Vilnius to commemorate the 36th anniversary of Lithuania's Restoration of Independence day on Wednesday.
The parade, known as the Path of Restoration of Independence, saw participants walk from Independence Square to Cathedral Square carrying Lithuanian and Ukrainian flags, tricolour banners and other national symbols.
Among those taking part were newly sworn-in riflemen, representatives of national communities and members of the public. The Lithuanian Armed Forces Honour Guard Company and military orchestras from all three Baltic states also featured in the procession.
Many of those who attended spoke of pride in their country's freedom, alongside growing anxiety about the security situation in Europe.
Viktoras Orantas, a 74-year-old security guard, said he marks March 11 every year, as well as January 13 and February 16, passing the traditions on to his children. "These are sacred days," he said, adding that anxiety about the geopolitical situation is growing.
"Every evening I ask God that there be no war. Because truly, when you watch television, smoke is rising everywhere, especially in Ukraine," Orantas told reporters.
Elena Macijauskienė, a Vilnius resident who attends the commemoration annually, became emotional when asked about the day's significance. She noted that freedom is not a given, and therefore one must fight for it every day, a fact constantly reminded by the war in Ukraine.
"Wars are happening all around, especially in Ukraine. Lithuania supports it greatly, and we very much want it to win and be free like Lithuania," she said.
Liudvika Streikutė-Ramanauskienė, 26, an event organiser, said that in the current geopolitical climate it was especially important to celebrate freedom. "It is very important to be happy that we can now enjoy freedom, and to prepare so that nothing bad ever happens and no one takes that freedom from us," she said.
Dovilė Abalikstienė, 38, who joined the parade with her family, said people had come to value their freedoms far more in recent times. "It is not a given, so we must cherish and celebrate it every day," she said.
36 years ago, on March 11, 1990, the Supreme Council-Reconstituent Seimas declared the restoration of the independent state of Lithuania, making it the first country to secede from the Soviet Union.
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